In a fighting game or the like, a game character manipulated by a player is made to fight a game character manipulated by an opposing player (or computer) on a screen, so that the player can enjoy the game. Such a fighting game is highly popular as a game that enables players to experience the feeling of actually fighting each other.
However, the quality of the manipulation skills of each player have a huge effect on the game result in a fighting game. Particularly in a fighting game, manipulating a cross-shaped key and operating buttons of a game controller in a given sequence (a sequence in which, for instance, a left portion of the cross-shaped key is pressed before buttons A and B are pressed in sequence) usually causes the game character to perform a special technique (special action). If this special technique is successful, it is possible to inflict a great deal of damage to the opponent, so that the success or otherwise of the special technique has a large effect on the game result. Therefore, the quality of the player's manipulation skills depends on whether a special technique is smoothly performed or not.
However, the operating sequence for producing this special technique, or another action such as a counterattack or guarding, is generally complicated and it is an extremely difficult task for the player to learn this operating sequence. It is particularly difficult to memorize such operating sequences during combat with another player in normal combat mode, which is one reason why players who lack confidence in their manipulation skills are put off by this type of game.
This invention was devised in order to solve the above described technical problems, and has as its objective the provision of an image synthesis method, games machine, and information storage medium that makes it possible for a player to easily learn operating sequences for causing a game character to perform various different actions.